The Department of Airports (DoA) of Thailand plans to give Hua Hin Airport a facelift, transforming it into an international hub as a part of the breakout strategy to attract more tourists in the post-pandemic era. Rattapol Charoenphon, the acting director of Hua Hin Airport, divulged this ambitious upgrade plan on a recent Sunday press release.
Hua Hin Airport, under the aegis of the DoA, recently managed to elongate its runway to a length of 2.1 kilometers and a width of 60 meters, thereby making it compatible for the docking of Airbus A320 aircraft. The airport can house up to three of these large aircraft at a time in its improved parking bays.
Currently, Thai AirAsia enjoys a monopoly at Hua Hin Airport with its tri-weekly roundtrip flights to Chiang Mai. Elaborating on the future plans, Mr. Rattapol expressed the airport’s intention to operate international flights, which entails necessary enhancements in terms of safety and infrastructure development within and around the existing airport building.
Key projects include expanding the traffic tunnel on Phetkasem Road, widening the airport train tunnel, and restructuring the safe zone around the airport to ensure adherence to international civil aviation quality standards. The department already has a specific company in mind to undertake this crucial safety expansion project, awaiting authorization from the Transport Ministry to move forward.
Following the much-anticipated contract signing, the project is expected to culminate in 600 days. Meanwhile, a study aiming at assessing potential expansion options for the airport’s facilities is underway, including arranging consultation meetings with commercial airlines to understand and respond appropriately to their concerns.
An official report summarizing these findings is expected to be released later this year before reaching the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand for approval. This will pave the way for Hua Hin Airport’s anticipated and enhanced operations as an international airport.
A recent seminar chaired by Nopasit Chakpitak, the President of Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, outlined ways to leverage Hua Hin Airport to accommodate more traffic and enhance tourism in the province. Having handled approximately 30,000 private jets a year, the airport shows promising potential for future expansion.
As per Wassana Srikanchana, president of the Hua Hin Cha Am Tourism Business Association, the strategic location of Hua Hin Airport close to Bangkok coupled with its international status could boost the influx of tourists, thus revitalizing the economic scenario of Prachuap Khiri Khan and neighboring Phetchaburi.
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